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Artificial system have surpassed natural leaf at photosynthesis effectiveness
Researchers from Harvard University have created a bionic system that converts and stores solar energy in chemical form, using a hybrid mechanism of inorganic materials and living organisms. This scheme helps to solve two problems at once:
1) conservation of solar energy, which is produced in excess in the daytime, and which lacks in the evening;
2) the elimination of the excess CO2 from the atmosphere.
New invention exceeds the efficiency of all the existing similar design and even superior to the photosynthesis in nature. Scientific article published June 3 in the journal Science.
"I think it's actually quite exciting study, commented on the work of colleagues Johannes Lechner (Johannes Lischner) from Imperial College London. — The conversion of sunlight into chemical fuels with high efficiency — something like a Cup of the Holy Grail for renewable energy".
A bionic system is a jar with two electrodes, water and a colony of bacteria Ralstonia eutropha. An electric current is passed through the electrodes and decomposes the water molecules, freeing hydrogen gas.
The obtained hydrogen could be used as fuel, but scientists decided to complicate the system to make it more effective. The next step in the act of Ralstonia eutropha bacteria that feed on hydrogen and CO2 from the atmosphere. Thanks to these nutrients, the bacteria colony is actively growing in size. Among the products of microorganisms — a variety of useful chemicals. Scientists experimented with genetic modification and derived bacteria that produce different types of alcohol (C3 and C4+C5 in the diagram) and the precursors of plastics (PHB charts).
For decades, scientists try to grow bacteria on the electrodes to force them to participate in a chemical chain reactions, but this process has been beset by various problems, which interfere to create a truly effective system.
Chief among these problems is the leaching of heavy metals from the electrodes, as well as the emergence of oxygen in the active form. Both processes inhibit a happy life, healthy bacteria. Important discovery chemists from Harvard was the use of the system of electrolysis with a cathode and an anode on the basis of cobalt. Essentially, the cathode and anode produces a synergistic effect, presenting samzareulos system. If one is degraded, the second supplies the substances and Vice versa.
According to independent experts, which are not relevant to this research, scientific work is truly revolutionary. For the first time in history, scientists were able to combine chemical electrolysis with the activity of bacteria with high efficiency of transformation and conservation of energy. Work in this direction came with the 1960-ies.
The authors of the study managed to achieve a recovery efficiency of CO2, about 50% of with the production of bacterial biomass and liquid alcohol. 1 kWh of electricity consumed 180 grams of CO2.
If you combine this system with conventional solar cells, the efficiency of the recovery of CO2 will be about 10% — is higher than in natural photosynthesis!
The researchers suggest that their system is efficient electrolysis with the energy conversion into liquid fuels, will be used primarily in developing countries where there is no developed electrical infrastructure to distribute and store the electricity generated by the solar panels during the day.
In the future technology can find a very wide application. It is very important that the bacteria amenable to genetic engineering and are suitable for the production not only of alcohol but also of other materials. All this can be obtained in unlimited quantities out of thin air and sunlight, as said in the science podcast, Brendan colon (Brendan Colón), one of the authors of scientific work.
The system solves the problem with the storage of the generated electricity, but also helps to extract some benefit from the excess CO2 that mankind emits into the atmosphere by burning millions of tons of hydrocarbons annually. published
P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©
Source: geektimes.ru/post/276910/
1) conservation of solar energy, which is produced in excess in the daytime, and which lacks in the evening;
2) the elimination of the excess CO2 from the atmosphere.
New invention exceeds the efficiency of all the existing similar design and even superior to the photosynthesis in nature. Scientific article published June 3 in the journal Science.
"I think it's actually quite exciting study, commented on the work of colleagues Johannes Lechner (Johannes Lischner) from Imperial College London. — The conversion of sunlight into chemical fuels with high efficiency — something like a Cup of the Holy Grail for renewable energy".
A bionic system is a jar with two electrodes, water and a colony of bacteria Ralstonia eutropha. An electric current is passed through the electrodes and decomposes the water molecules, freeing hydrogen gas.
The obtained hydrogen could be used as fuel, but scientists decided to complicate the system to make it more effective. The next step in the act of Ralstonia eutropha bacteria that feed on hydrogen and CO2 from the atmosphere. Thanks to these nutrients, the bacteria colony is actively growing in size. Among the products of microorganisms — a variety of useful chemicals. Scientists experimented with genetic modification and derived bacteria that produce different types of alcohol (C3 and C4+C5 in the diagram) and the precursors of plastics (PHB charts).
For decades, scientists try to grow bacteria on the electrodes to force them to participate in a chemical chain reactions, but this process has been beset by various problems, which interfere to create a truly effective system.
Chief among these problems is the leaching of heavy metals from the electrodes, as well as the emergence of oxygen in the active form. Both processes inhibit a happy life, healthy bacteria. Important discovery chemists from Harvard was the use of the system of electrolysis with a cathode and an anode on the basis of cobalt. Essentially, the cathode and anode produces a synergistic effect, presenting samzareulos system. If one is degraded, the second supplies the substances and Vice versa.
According to independent experts, which are not relevant to this research, scientific work is truly revolutionary. For the first time in history, scientists were able to combine chemical electrolysis with the activity of bacteria with high efficiency of transformation and conservation of energy. Work in this direction came with the 1960-ies.
The authors of the study managed to achieve a recovery efficiency of CO2, about 50% of with the production of bacterial biomass and liquid alcohol. 1 kWh of electricity consumed 180 grams of CO2.
If you combine this system with conventional solar cells, the efficiency of the recovery of CO2 will be about 10% — is higher than in natural photosynthesis!
The researchers suggest that their system is efficient electrolysis with the energy conversion into liquid fuels, will be used primarily in developing countries where there is no developed electrical infrastructure to distribute and store the electricity generated by the solar panels during the day.
In the future technology can find a very wide application. It is very important that the bacteria amenable to genetic engineering and are suitable for the production not only of alcohol but also of other materials. All this can be obtained in unlimited quantities out of thin air and sunlight, as said in the science podcast, Brendan colon (Brendan Colón), one of the authors of scientific work.
The system solves the problem with the storage of the generated electricity, but also helps to extract some benefit from the excess CO2 that mankind emits into the atmosphere by burning millions of tons of hydrocarbons annually. published
P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©
Source: geektimes.ru/post/276910/
